Cruising to La Romana Dominican Republic

Haven't been there in years, and don't plan to go again either. The place IS dangerous...you think those negative reviews were just bs? So add this one....The place probably isnt as poverty stricken as the other side of the island, (never been to HAITI) but its close, and whats left of it was hammered by an assortment of hurricanes..add covid to the mix..well........its enough for us when cruising the Carib to enjoy being on a virtually empty ship....which it might be anyway.....

We haven’t decided yet. If we do anything it will be on a ship sponsored tour.

We thought that our first time there so we went to Dreams I think it was on a day pass but our second time we went on an excursion and never felt afraid or unsafe so 3d time we just had fun and it was a blast to see umbrella road and many other things and now we are heading back there on the Carnival Horizon on the 26th is when we will be there. Only port I truly dislike is Nassau and from now on I will stay on the ship there or get a daypass somewhere.

Most of these Islands are much safer than our large Cities like Chicago or San Francisco.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/10/17/american-missionaries-kidnapped-in-haiti/8498325002/

Yeah, lets all have a ball on one side of the island, while this goes on on the other....amazing to me that cruise lines still go there at all........I don't care how many ball players come from the Dominican side....I can remember several islands that cruises currently go to that were off limits for YEARS...bubble tours??? in a third world banana republic??? perfectly safe.....

We were there twice. The first time we did a tour provided by the ship called the Altos de Chavon. It is basically a Mediterranean style village setup. It was ok to visit once. The second time we simply did the bit of tourist shopping offered straight off the ship- an enclosed area. If we had to go there again I do not know if we would even get off the ship.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic share an island but they are not the same country.

The border is a line on a map...somehow I don't think the local gangs pay any attention to it...

I guess any more than Mexico. However, the border is well patrolled and that area is very mountainous. LaRomana is very far from the border

Actually we enjoyed our recent stop at La Romana. They have built up the area at the port and it’s like an upscale straw market. While we didn’t go on an excursion, friends took the train (ship sponsored) that toured the town. They said that they had armed police guards shadowing them. It was not as reassuring as they hoped. Also, that border is very strictly enforced. Still advise anyone stopping here to go on a ship sponsored shore tour if they want to go farther than the port area.

No thanks. "well patrolled...mountainous", errrr...."pacified" was the term in my day. Been there done that...complete contradiction in terms...but it sounds good doesn't it? I feel no need whatsoever to wander thru yet another "upscale straw market" specifically designed to sell junque to norteamericano touristas...and their Yanqui dollares.....almost everybody's "port area" can lay claim to that...getting back into the countryside...well....it sure isn't French wine country is it???